


Blush for me

by Sweet_Solitude



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blushing, Boss/Employee Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Kylo falls in love first, Rey is really shy, Romance, The First Order is a band, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-27
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-23 14:30:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6119321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweet_Solitude/pseuds/Sweet_Solitude
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rey, who's easy to blush, takes a job at a café to get closer to the guy she has a crush on. But nothing goes as planned ...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blush for me

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by the fluffiest manga "Apple-Cheek Love" by Maki Usami. I 've read it many years ago and recently remembered it. I couldn't stop myself from placing Rey and Kylo in it, especially since I love Coffe Shop AUs :)
> 
> Also, this is not only my first fanfiction ever, it's also the first time I wrote a story in english, that is my third langauge, so be gentle with me :D
> 
> Many many kudos to @loveyournightmare for test reading, editing and tips on writing

It’s been a year since Rey saw him last. Poe Dameron graduated from College without both of them having exchanged one word. He belonged to an entirely different group of people, he was surrounded by popular students, beautiful girls and she was a quiet book worm wearing unappealing clothes and putting her hair up in a three bun style that some people found cute, but obviously not Poe. He never noticed her, how she looked at him at parties, standing in the background, where she felt she belonged. There was also this thing, that made her cringe every time she even thought about it - she blushed really easily, every time she felt embarrassed or overwhelmed, it crept on her face and tinted her cheeks with a shade that immediately betrayed what she was feeling.

After twelve months, while walking down the street, she noticed him sitting at a café with two friends. At first, she contemplated getting in and buying a coffee, but at the same time she felt warmth spreading on her face and knew she had flushed cheeks again, so she walked away, with her heart fluttering in her chest.  
A couple of days later, she happened to pass the same café, and there, by the window, she saw him again, with a muffin in front of him at the table, reading a book. He must have lived in this part of the town, or maybe worked near by? Her eyes caught a piece of paper hanging on the window.

HELP WANTED  
Register, bussing, flexible schedule  
She stood for a minute and stared at the letters, a plan hatching in her head…

***  
Two days later Rey stood at the register in an apron, with a name tag attached to her chest, and the owner of the café, Kylo, staring at her with fierce eyes.  
“That’s the second plate you broke since you’ve started here…” He said with a low growl. She felt cold sweat running down her back. She thought applying for the job was stressful enough, but it was nothing compared to being followed by Kylo’s intense stare all day long. He was training the newbies himself and she felt his gaze every time she picked up a cup or a pastry, and her hands were shaking. No wonder she dropped the two dishes before, she practically felt his breath on her neck.

“I’m so sorry, I promise it won’t happen again!” she said quietly, feeling her cheeks warming up a little, hopefully not enough to be noticed by him. “Am I fired?” She dropped her head, and Kylo exhaled loudly.  
“Of course not. Just try to relax, or the customers will think I’m punishing my employees with a whip, they way you wince before me” He cleaned up the shards and went to the kitchen.   
Rey clenched her fists and started thinking if this wasn’t a bad idea after all. She was way too nervous for this job, and with a boss like Kylo, she’ll end up with stomach ulcers from sheer stress. She tried to focus on why she was there in the first place - Poe. She’s been at the café for two days and he hasn’t shown yet. She wasn’t sure at what days he swung by for coffee, or at what hours, since both times she saw him were different days of the week. But she decided to be patient, he’ll come eventually, right?

Days passed and Rey got less and less nervous around Kylo, he was still glaring at her when she did something wrong, but there was no annoyance behind it, rather concern. He didn’t shout at her once, and it was a good sign. He was also very understanding about her classes and she never had to drop one of them, and she never got scorned by Kylo for being late. But after more than two weeks at the café without any trace of Poe, she felt like an idiot.

Kylo noticed the change in her mood and didn’t say anything at first, but on the third day of her moping around he nudged her with a spoon, and when she turned her head, confused, he raised his eyebrows at the sad look in her eyes.

“You ok, kid?” He asked and there was real concern in his voice “Something wrong at school?”  
Rey felt the terrible need to talk to someone about the whole situation, but she was afraid he’d think her an idiot for acting the way she did. Taking a job just to get closer to your crush, it seemed childish, if not creepy.   
“No, I’m fine, just…having some personal worries, nothing serious though” she assured him, rubbing her forehead with the back of her hand. Kylo didn’t look convinced. “If you want to talk about it, I’m all ears” He said. Rey glanced at him. He didn’t exactly look like someone who would laugh at her, and he may be stern and not exactly a warm person, but he was someone who was willing to listen to what troubled her. It wasn’t like she got that from people often.

She told him everything, about her interest in Poe, how she never felt brave enough to talk to him and took her chance now, by working at a café she only saw him twice in. While she spoke, she felt her cheeks burning up. They must have been really red by now.

“It all seems stupid now, because he never showed up again”, she said bitterly while Kylo looked her in the eyes with a serious face. “Of course he didn’t” He said quietly. “Poe was a regular here, but he moved to New York about three weeks ago, he got a job there.” Rey’s face dropped at his words and she felt as if a knife pierced her chest. 

“And he’s got a girlfriend” he kept going and the blade twisted. “Sorry, kid” he added and Rey nodded, then swallowed hard “It’s ok, really” she didn’t want to look him in the eyes. Kylo pushed himself off the counter “I’ll be in the back if you need anything”, he put his hand on her shoulder when he was passing her. 

It was so typical for her. She always had the worst luck in love. When her shift ended, she put her coat on and went to say bye to Kylo. He was standing by the window, writing tomorrow’s menu on the blackboard that usually stood outside. He always used colorful chalk and drew flowers in the corners. Rey though it was super cute, especially because he always had the biggest scowl on his face when he drew it. She smiled softly when she got to him. “I’m going home now. And… thanks for earlier, for listening” She fumbled with her gloves.

 “No biggie. Sorry though, that it didn’t work out for you” There it was again, his hand on her shoulder, big, warm, and comforting. She would never have thought that the man who stressed her out so much at the beginning with his grumpiness, would turn out to be such a decent guy. She gave him a smile and went out, heading to the bus station. It wasn’t until she was sitting on the bus, that she noticed pink and green fingerprints on her shoulder, left by Kylo's fingers that had chalk dust on them. She thought about his comfort again and suddenly, the familiar warmth spread on her cheeks.

Next day, she entered the café and went on the back to leave her coat there. Kylo was standing by the fridge, getting out croissants. She knocked on the door frame “Hi” she greeted him as he jumped and looked at her confused. “Did you forget something yesterday? He asked. Rey looked at him confounded “Uhm, no…wasn’t I supposed to come today? Did you change my schedules?” He put the tray with the pastries on the table and looked at her “I didn’t but… I thought after yesterday’s news you wouldn’t want to come anymore, now that there’s no reason for you to work here, you know…” He fumbled with his hand as if he didn’t know what to do with them. Rey took a big breath. 

“No. The reason I started working here was because I hated that I always gave up to easily and never did anything brave. And when I think about it, I never really knew him, Poe, I mean… I liked the idea I had of him but I never got to know him. I got this job, I suffered through all the stress you put me through the first few days and I am proud of myself, because that was brave. And I’m not giving up. So, if you still want me to work here, I’d love to stay.”   
He stared at her, mouth slightly open. Rey panted, she never spoke up like this before, and she knew she was probably turning red by now, but she didn’t care. Then, he smiled. He walked over to the employees’ closet, took out her apron, and handed it to her. “Glad to hear it” He turned around and continued with setting the croissants on the baking tray.

The time she spent working at the café did something to Rey. She opened up to people, started approaching customers on her own, laughed a lot more often than she used to, and she got to admit, she had a great time with Kylo. They talked about a lot of things, something she never did with guys, except her closest friends. He seemed to have a calming influence on her.   
A month later, when she exited the cafe at the end of the day, Kylo ran out after her.

“Rey! Wait!” she stopped and turned around, thinking maybe she left something behind. “Say, do you go to concerts?” he asked holding an envelope in his hand. “Uhm…it depends, I guess” she answered confused as he opened the envelope and revealed two tickets. He handed one of them to her. “I got them from a friend who can’t make it. The concert is tomorrow, if you’d like to go.” Rey looked shocked, the ticket was for a concert of The First Order. “Wow” I thought they were nearly impossible to get??” Rey couldn’t believe it. “Well, my buddy has influential friends” he laughed. “So, you wanna come?”  
Rey looked up at him, still in shock. “Yes! Oh my god of course!” Kylo laughed at her excitement. “Ok, let’s meet in front of the concert hall then, ok?”  “Sure, and thank you!” He waved his hand. “No problem. You mentioned being a fan once, so I thought you’d be happy about it. I don’t know anyone else I could ask.” They said their goodbyes and Rey ran to the bus station, squeezing the ticked in her pocket. How amazing was that? A thought crept up in her mind, about how much this looked like a date but she brushed it off. It was only her boss, Kylo. It was nothing special. Despite telling herself that, she started blushing again.

 There was a mass of people in front of the concert hall and Rey was afraid she wouldn’t be able to find Kylo, but as she stood and look around, she felt someone tap her shoulder, and as she turned around, there he was. She noticed how great he looked that evening. Neat coat, not the one he wore to work, a nice scarf, and instead of his casual hairstyle, it was brushed a little to the back, revealing his entire face. Rey got herself looking nice too. She wore a dress she just bought and shoes with a bit higher heels than she usually wore. They greeted each other and he offered to go inside. It was too cold outside to wait in front of the building before the concert started. 

She tried to push through the crowd and apologized to everyone she had to squeeze next to, when Kylo got in front of her, grabbed her hand and guided her through the screaming and laughing horde. Shortly after, Rey realized Kylo has got them almost under the stage. She grabbed the railing, getting really excited and looked at Kylo who stood right beside her. It was only a couple of minutes until the beginning and people started to push. Rey felt herself being squeezed to the barrier a little, until Kylo got behind her, placed his hand on both sides of her on the railing and held off the crowd from crushing her. Rey was really grateful for that but at the same time she started panicking as well. Having him so close, and in such an awkward position, made her really nervous. The band got on the stage and everyone screamed. The music started and people were jumping to the beat, but Rey couldn’t concentrate on the tunes, all she was registering was the pleasant warmth behind her back, and how it made her feel safe. She never realized how incredibly tall he was until they stood so close. She felt dwarfed by him. And, she was grateful for the darkness in the hall, which meant no one could see the deep, purple blush she felt on her cheeks and neck, and she tried to ignore the way her heart sped up. 

When the show ended, they went straight to the fan shop and fell over the souvenirs. Rey calmed herself down by then and was giggling at the shirt Kylo got, with the band’s logo on it. He claimed to sleep in it from now on. She was glad he liked the band as much as she did. 

When he was walking her to the station, she was going through the band’s bio included to their cd she just bought. “Did you know the vocalist went to my college few years ago??” She was really excited about that. “No kidding” he answered. “Apparently he was in the Jedi football team…just like Poe!” She looked at him with a smile. Kylo didn’t answer to that, just looked down as they walked. Rey meant to say it only as a trivia, but he seemed downed by it.   
“The guitarist is from Coruscant, oh…” she continued reading to make it look like she didn’t try to talk about Poe. “Say…” he interrupted her “Did you have fun today?” Rey looked at him. “Yeah. I had lots of fun tonight…?” He kept looking on the pavement. “Hmm…but your face didn’t get red. It’s different when you talk about Poe.” Rey stared, feeling her heart rate increasing. What?  
He looked over at her. “And I don’t like it” He leaned towards her, his eyes on her lips. When she realized what he was about to do, she panicked. She shoved him away by pushing her hands against his chest. “No!” Kylo stepped back, shocked at her clear rejection. She looked at him, feeling miserable and overwhelmed. He gave her a little smile. “I guess you’re still scared of me, huh?” She didn’t know how to answer, how to tell him that she never knew how to act in those situations, and that he simply caught her off guard. She wanted to tell him she wasn’t scared of him. She just needed a moment to adjust to the thought that he, of all people, would want to kiss her.  
“I’m sorry, I’ll go home…” he said and turned away. She didn’t know what to do, if she should run after him. She never felt so bad about anything she had done before. The station was a couple of feet away, so she decided to just go home and try to talk to him tomorrow.

Standing in front of the café, she took a couple of deep breaths, and got inside. She noticed that the sign was not put outside yet, despite it being already afternoon, and that there was far less pastries on display than usual. She silently walked pass the tables and opened the door to the back. Kylo was sitting at his desk with a cup if steaming black coffee, hands folded in front of him. He looked up when he heard the door opening, and after their eyes met, he stood up. 

“Rey…” he started with a shaky voice “I am so sorry for what happened yesterday, I promise it won’t happen again, I just hope you don’t quit because I’m such an idiot. I should’ve realized you had no interest in me…” he stopped after she put her fingers on his lips. Feeling incredibly brave, like never before, she took one more step and got on tip toes, trying to reach his lips with hers. It wasn’t enough though, she still got two or three inches left, and she looked him in the eyes. “I got startled yesterday because I wasn’t prepared for it. I never thought you’d want to kiss me, and I’m a little insecure about those things. I really, really want to kiss you though. But if you changed your mind, then…” He cut her off by closing the gap between them and pressing his lips to hers. A gentle press at first, but then he got his hands on her waist, opened his mouth a little and the kiss got a little deeper. He caught her lower lip between his teeth, gently, but it turned her legs in jelly. She gasped and he pulled away, looking at her with hooded eyes, still holding her close. She watched a smirk grow on his face “Is that for me?” He asked. She raised her eyebrows, confused “The blush, is it for me?” He asked again, all cheeky. Rey smiled and hid her face on his chest. Kylo laughed out loud, putting his arms around her. “I love it”.

He never got tired of trying to color her cheeks. He loved to creep behind her and place a quick peck on her neck, right beneath her ear, to see how deep her blush will be, or asked her what she thought of the new caramel coffee flavor, by giving her a deep kiss after he took a sip of it. But sometimes, it was enough when he just looked at her with a smirk and said

“Rey…blush for me.”


End file.
